Dig Local Weekly Scoop (Oct. 1-7) - What to Do This Week in Asheville, NC

Dig This... with Stu Helm

A quick peek at the life and times of Asheville's No. 1 food fan.

Twisted Brunch

When Twisted Laurel — a popular Weaverville staple with a loyal and well-deserved fan-base in that town — opened their 2nd location in Asheville, they soon realized that the eaters here might be a little bit… shall we say… spoiled?

Twisted’s lunch was doing great, but their dinner was not catching on. So last year they hired Chef Mike Achberger specifically to help their dinner menu meet the expectations of Asheville’s eaters and get on a par with other top notch downtown venues. With a pedigree that includes Chef Jacob Sessom’s Table restaurant, Chef Mike is doing just that — and in the meantime, they also cut him loose on brunch.

I’m not necessarily an expert on anything, but I do know some stuff about brunch.

Back in 2016, I ate 30 different brunches at 27 different local restaurants while writing my “Month of Brundays” series for Ashvegas. I also now take 4 to 15 people out to brunch every Saturday morning as a guide for Asheville Food Tours, visiting 6 to 8 stops along the way. So, yeah, I’m a crusty old punk with a skull tattooed on my neck, and I love brunch. So what?

To me, the brunch super-fan, Chef Mike at Twisted Laurel has the most exciting new brunch menu in downtown. I’ve already tried, or at least tasted, several of his brunch dishes, and wow! Each and every one of them was super yummy, complex yet comfortable, unique, interesting, fresh, scratch-made from local ingredients and presented in a beautiful, thoughtful way.

Chef Mike’s brunch menu changes frequently, which adds to the excitement, and I’m looking forward to trying as many items as I can! I highly recommend Sunday brunch at Twisted Laurel. Maybe I’ll even see you there!

Below you will find one locally curated Scoop chosen for each day this week — but make sure to check out all the Scoops this week on our Dig Local Scoop Calendar.

It's time for some Tuesday tunes at Sly Grog Loungeand the night is all about punk rock. Hear from alternative rock, post-punk band The Spiral; grunge, punk, fuzz rock band the Sane Voids; and end the night with indie and post-punk band Church Girls. Check out the rest of Tuesday’s Scoops here.

Get your team name ready and head over to The Barrel Housefor Thirsty Thursday Trivia at 7 p.m. Scratch your head over funky and funny clues while keeping your eye on the $50 gift card prize.Check out the rest of Thursday’s Scoops here.

Join local astronomer and author Stephan Martin as you look up at the stars and explore the constellations at the Hickory Nut Gap Farm for a night of Cosmic Stargazing and Storytelling. Learn about some of the latest and greatest discoveries in astronomy and hear exciting theories about the universe. Check out the rest of Friday's Scoops here.

⭐ GIVEAWAY ALERT ⭐

We're giving away 2 general admission tickets to Asheville Oktoberfest this year! Check out our Instagram page for more details. Hurry — the contest ends October 4!Check out the rest of Saturday’s Scoops here.

Who doesn't love a good pop-up — especially when food from The Blind Pig is involved. Pay homage to one of the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western Art with a 5-course menu inspired by Vincent Van Gogh himself. During the Vincent's Ear event, diners can enjoy custom cocktails, live spin art and more.